2. The Competitors Actually Seem To Enjoy It
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqMj1hRC5M8 Mostly, the Beeb chooses to air footage of athletes looking grim and concentrating hard as they power through their respective events, but it's striking how much of the coverage is of competitors just having a good time in the spotlight. It's particularly apparent whenever the camera cuts to the finishing area at the bottom of a skiing or snowboarding event, where all the athletes from different nations are hanging out, hugging each other, commiserating each other on poor runs and offering congratulations on medals. In an Olympics which has rightly attracted its fair share of criticism, it's a lovely thing to see.